On a visit to a friend’s house, your toddler is causing rather a lot of mischief. While you’re quite used to them climbing about the furniture, jumping here, there, and everywhere, your friend is not, and judging by the look on their face, they’re not too happy about it. You do your best to distract your little one and keep them still, but sitting still just isn’t in their nature. Feeling a bit embarrassed and more than a little judged, you pack up your things, make up an excuse, and head home.

We know that raising a high-activity toddler can be tiring and, at times, difficult. But know that all toddlers go through active, exploratory phases and that they do eventually become a little calmer. Typically, this happens at around the age of three.

In the meantime, we’ve put together a few strategies that should help you to cope with your hyper-energetic little one. But before we get to them, let’s clarify what we mean when we talk about a high-activity toddler.

What are the typical behavioural traits of a high-activity toddler?

The following 3 traits may indicate that your toddler is hyperactive

High levels of activity. Your toddler will likely enjoy running all over the place, climbing everything in sight, and exploring new toys and environments.

They’ll have high-intensity responses. They may have rather emphatic responses to activities and objects around them, as well as the people in their lives. These include both good and bad responses, so they may be a little louder than fellow toddlers.

Short attention span when it comes to sedentary activities. They probably won’t much enjoy sitting down and reading books or completing puzzles.

So now we know what a hyperactive toddler looks like, but why are they so energetic?

Why is my toddler so hyperactive?

Children who love to explore and rush about typically do so because they feel safe. They feel safe in the knowledge that you are there for them, whether you’re by their side or not, which has in turn built up their confidence to explore and play to their heart’s content. This, combined with a toddler’s natural curiosity and energy, makes for quite a handful.

So, how can we best cope with our hyperactive toddlers?

How can I deal with my high-activity toddler?

High-activity toddlers often aren’t all that interested in language, so you may find that giving directions helps very little. Instead, you can try the following:

Set up areas inside and outside the home for vigorous play. A small climbing frame in the garden and a comfy den area in the living room, stuffed with blankets and cushions, allows for lots of energetic play. And once they’ve burned up all that energy they’ll be more inclined to sit quietly for a time.

Make the most of the quiet moments. And when they are a little tired and finally sit down for a moment, have a cuddle and read a book, and have a rest yourself.

Make sure their play is kept novel and varied. High-activity toddlers get bored very quickly, so try to keep their play fresh and varied. Hide toys the toys they grow bored with and get them out again after a few weeks have passed, involve them in household activities, and organise plenty of playdates and adventures.

Try to share the care of your child. If your child has older siblings or cousins, encourage them to play together. They’ll have a lot more energy than us parents and won’t struggle to keep up with them, but make sure to stay nearby in case they need your help. Similarly, have partners and family members look out for your child too so you don’t feel as great a pressure all of the time.

Relax your standards as much as possible. For the time being, your toddler is going to take up a lot of your time and make everyday tasks a little more difficult. So try to relax your standards in regards to those things that can wait, whether that’s household chores or cooking a fresh dinner every night - a freezer pizza is okay too!

Pick your battles carefully and don’t be afraid to give in if you have to. If you’re in the midst of a struggle, trying to get your toddler to do something they don’t want to do, ask yourself - What is the point here? If you feel that you are doing something important, hold tight to your position. On the other hand, if you’re simply trying to be consistent or avoid humiliation, make your life easier and think of a graceful way to give in. As long as it doesn’t become a habit, occasionally yielding will not spoil your child. In fact, it teaches them to have confidence in their ability to make a point. It will also save you a little much-needed energy that will likely come in handy when they’re running about the living room later.

Keep an eye out for cues of weariness and fear. High-activity toddlers are generally very brave little adventurers, but even they will get scared on occasion. The signs will likely be more subtle, but they will present themselves, so keep a lookout.

Sometimes, all our kids need is a simple explanation. At this age, their behaviour is mostly based on instinct. For example, they reach for the object they want, run to the place they want to go, and climb the object they wish to climb, and in their minds, there’s no reason not to do so. If we can sit them down and calmly explain why we don’t want them to suddenly run off somewhere or climb the rickety shelf, they can begin to learn the cause and effects of their behaviour.

How do I deal with a high-activity toddler?

Toddlers are bundles of energy and that's OK. Just follow Unii's management tips.